Books 23-26

'A Weekend with Mr Darcy' by Victoria Connelly.
Format - Kindle.

I liked this. Easy, kind of fluffy, lots of Austen references and a little obvious but that didn't detract from its readability. I've downloaded the next one in the series ready for an evening when I want to be entertained without taxing my noggin. It is a romance and I do have to be in the mood for romance but it was well written with a smidge of humour and the heroines weren't too wet - just a little damp around the edges.

'Dusk' by Alexia Jefferies & Amber Smith
Format - Kindle

The book gets two awards - 1) for the worst written book I've read in a long time and 2) for the most blatant plagiarism I think I've ever come across - the books subtitle should be 'Aka Vampire Diaries'. This is a first book in a series, I don't think the others are written yet (any maybe it should stay that way) but it throws you into a set of characters and then neglects to really explain anything about them - I went and checked that it wasn't a second book, it then does the same with new characters as if you should know them and some just appear out of nowhere with no explanation ever. The dialogue is dismal and the plot is worse. There are some many things from VD including an 'original' called Elijah  who is hunting a doppleganger who has a vampire sister called.....wait for it.......Katerina - cos no-one who likes Vampire stuff would even notice...would they?
I love Vampire lit but this is the worst I have ever encountered - I will not be reading anything by these authors.

'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan' by Lisa See

I had a little hiatus in the middle of this book (got distracted by Vampires) but none the less it is an interesting read and is well written. It isn't the best book but it is informative and has a good pace. It is quite an alien world too which makes it a page turner for a modern woman to read - the foot binding info isn't as shocking as 'The Binding Chair' but it still makes you wince. I did feel the latter half of the book had a better pace as the start seemed a little slow.

'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' by Robert Louis Stevenson
Format - Librivox Audio Book - read by Kristen Hughes.

Ok I love this. Never read it before and it is so much better than I thought it would be. I was engrossed and the narrator has a lovely reading voice - it almost made the book poetical - will listen to it again!